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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — a face
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. roll — a list
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — part of the head
  22. roll — a cake
  23. face — to confront
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com